


The Simplest Explanation

by NamelesslyNightlock



Series: Going Down Swinging [68]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Bickering, Coitus Interruptus, Established Relationship, Flirting, Fluff, Happy Ending, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Prostitution, Love Confessions, M/M, Misunderstandings, Moral Ambiguity, POV Outsider, POV Thor (Marvel), Protective Loki (Marvel), Protective Thor (Marvel), Protective Tony Stark, Relationship Reveal, Romantic Fluff, Secret Relationship, Sexual Roleplay, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Uncomfortable Steve Rogers, Understanding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:28:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25483951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/pseuds/NamelesslyNightlock
Summary: When the Avengers see Loki asking Tony to kneel in exchange for information, they jump to the wrong conclusion.
Relationships: Loki & Thor (Marvel), Loki/Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Avengers Team, Tony Stark & Thor
Series: Going Down Swinging [68]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1330490
Comments: 37
Kudos: 633
Collections: Numerous OTPS Infinite Fandoms





	The Simplest Explanation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [STARSdidathing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/STARSdidathing/gifts).



> Stars had another good idea, and it fit this prompt so well that I offered to write it. I hope you enjoy it!  
>   
>  **Prompt** — _“This isn’t what it looks like.”_

Now, first things first– Thor is not an idiot. He knows that some people get that impression, but he does pay attention to what happens around him. And more than that, he knows _people,_ especially those that he’s close to. So when his friend, Tony, first began to receive information on the movements and plans of New York’s villains, he reached the most obvious conclusion– that Tony was getting the information through JARVIS.

The other Avengers thought similarly, at least at first. But when they realised that Tony’s collection of intel meant leaving the tower it quickly became clear that JARVIS wasn’t the explanation, and they began to suspect that Tony’s source was a person– and not anyone particularly friendly.

There wasn’t much of a pattern. Sometimes Tony would be gone only minutes, sometimes hours. Thor, however, had noticed that longest absences would be when Tony retrieved his information in a phone call, often due to time constraints– and then, when he would go to exchange whatever it was he was paying with, Tony often wouldn’t return until the following day.

It _was_ worrying, not because Thor thought that Tony was doing something that would put everyone else at risk, but because he and the rest of the Avengers were afraid Tony was doing something dangerous for _himself_. They were all aware that Tony would put his own life before any of theirs, and they had shared concerns that it was what he was doing here.

And if that _was_ the case, then… well. There was no good in Tony getting them the information if he got himself killed while doing it, now was there?

During his time with them, Thor had come to learn that the Avengers weren’t just a team. They were a _family_ , and they weren’t going to let any member face a danger they didn’t need to–especially not alone.

So, unbeknownst to Tony (and hopefully, to JARVIS as well) the Avengers came up with a plan. Natasha managed to put a trace on Tony’s phone, and the next time Tony received a message that his source had some information for them, they all followed him to a fancy hotel not far from Central park.

Thor waited outside with the others while Steve went inside to the front desk. He learned that Tony was in the penthouse suite, and had requested absolutely no disturbances, no matter what– and that Tony was completely alone. No one else had gone up with him, nor arrived since. It made sense, for a clandestine meeting. Thor would have been surprised that the clerk at the desk had given up what little information she had, except that he had seen firsthand the way that Midgardians swooned at Steve’s smile, and the clear secrecy only solidified the Avengers’ suspicions that the person Tony was meeting was someone worth concern.

Since they were hoping Tony would remain ignorant of their presence, they decided in a quick discussion that they would need to view what was happening from somewhere other than the front door. Luckily, the penthouse had a large balcony that Thor could get up to easily, and he carried Natasha in his arms while the others stayed down on the ground.

Thor frowned as they landed, feeling an itch cross over his skin that was far more familiar than he liked.

“Thor?” Natasha asked, apparently noticing his expression. “Is something wrong?”

“Loki is here,” he said. Natasha was instantly more alert as they moved closer to the window, the both of them peering inside.

And, sure enough, there was Loki– turned away from the window so that they could not clearly see his face, wearing the leather armour that he favoured while fighting on Midgard. Tony was there as well, close enough to Loki that they must have been able to feel each other’s breath. There was something about the way they were standing which made Thor’s skin _crawl_ , something that was only worsened by the way that Tony was staring up at Loki in what could only be defiance, his eyes hard and fierce.

It looked like they were speaking, though their voices were muffled by the thick glass, and Thor couldn’t hear a single clear word. But then Natasha pulled a device from her belt which she pressed to the window, and then they could both hear as if they were inside the room.

Loki’s voice was low and deep, all but crooning as he said– “You know my price.” The last syllable was close to a hiss as he leaned a little further toward Tony, and it almost looked like his nose brushed over Tony’s skin as he gave his order. “ _Kneel.”_

Thor expected that Tony would fight against that kind of demand– after all, the spitfire mortal never did what he was told without some kind of snarky reply. He expected that Tony would scoff and offer something else, but then—

Tony sank to his knees, his hands disappearing to the front of Loki’s pants, their movement impossible to mistake. Loki’s hands were in Tony’s hair, gripping probably tight enough to hurt, no doubt preparing to make the mortal give him whatever pleasure he desired in exchange for some measly _information_.

Thor felt sick, and he had to turn away. He wouldn’t watch while his friend… while his _brother…_

He shuddered, and swallowed down against the taste of bile that rose up his throat.

Thor thought he knew his brother. He had always stood by Loki when the others in Asgard had called him _ergi_ , or when they had labelled him dishonourable for the way that he fought with his seiðr. Thor had always believed, despite all those things, that Loki _was_ honourable in a way– that he stuck to his own code, and he always did what was right by it. Throughout all their lives, Loki had always been a _gentleman_. But now, seeing Loki demanding such a thing as _payment_ … Thor could hardly recognise his brother in him at all.

“We must stop this,” Thor said, his voice shaking with the effort of keeping it low when all he wanted to do was to barge in and tear his friend away from the _monster_ that was forcing himself upon him. “We should go in there and—”

“No,” Natasha hissed, grabbing Thor’s arm. “We need to leave.”

“What?” Thor asked. “Tony needs our help—”

“No, he doesn’t,” Natasha countered. She pulled the device from the window then, which Thor _was_ grateful for – he did not want to hear Loki’s shameful moans – but then she pushed at Thor’s arm, shoving him back to the edge of the balcony. “Come on,” she said. “We’re not doing him any favours by being here. I’m sure he doesn’t want us to see this.”

Thor wanted to argue that surely it wouldn’t matter whether they were seeing it or not– either way, this was a hideous event that no man should have to be subject to, not against his will. And Thor knew he was stronger than her, that he could have fought against her, but that would have alerted Loki and Tony to their presence, and without the element of surprise he feared what Loki would do to Tony if he thought it would grant him leverage to escape.

So Thor allowed Natasha to draw him to the edge of the balcony, and then he carried her back down to the ground to meet with the others.

“What happened?” Steve asked as they landed, not wasting any time. “Is Tony all right? Who—”

“Let’s go somewhere _private_ ,” Natasha said to them, already shooting Thor a glare, as if daring him to argue with her. He merely glared right back. He did not agree with her decision, but he knew she was right at least in this instance. It was not a topic to be discussed out in the open.

Still, as they moved away from the hotel, Thor felt reluctant. He hated the thought of leaving Tony in there while Loki _played_ with him like a toy.

In the end, they went to a small, empty restaurant a few streets away from the hotel– enough that it could be labelled a coincidence, but not so far that took an overly long time to walk the distance. Natasha gave a black card embossed with the name _Tony Stark_ to the owner and told them to take whatever it cost for five kebabs and to buy the place out for the next two hours, and then the team all crowded around a table reminiscent of just after their first battle together.

As Natasha finished paying, Clint leaned over to Thor. “Come on, spill,” he said. “Who was it?”

Thor shook his head, his lips pressing together. He felt that if he said anything now, then he would explode, and he was aware enough to know that would not help the situation.

He was sure that Natasha had a good reason. He would give her the chance to explain herself before he gave his side to the others.

Once they were all settled, Steve passed the food out. Thor refused his, not feeling like he would be able to eat after what he had seen, his stomach still rolling at the thought of what Tony was being forced to endure.

The others all began to eat their food, but one by one, the kebabs hit the table to lie mostly untouched as Natasha began to explain.

Bruce had to leave near the beginning, the skin around his eyes turning green with a rapidness that Thor had never seen before. Steve’s face lost colour entirely, the blood draining from his cheeks.

Only Clint seemed unaffected, taking another large bite out of his kebab even as Natasha stated that Tony had seemed defiant, but not resistant.

“So what did you do about it?” Steve asked slowly, his eyes narrowing. “When you saw Tony in that position, what did you _do?_ Because you returned rather quickly—”

“We came back down,” Thor said, holding Natasha’s piercing gaze. _Explain yourself._ “Natasha believed that the best course of action was to leave Tony to… finish what he was doing.”

Steve turned to Natasha, his pale cheeks colouring again, this time flushing in anger. “You can’t be okay with this,” he snarled. “He is… Tony is _prostituting_ himself to a _villain—_ ”

“So?” Natasha asked.

“What do you mean, so?” Steve spluttered. “That’s—”

“Nothing more than what I’ve had to do, so many times,” Natasha said. “And Clint, and anyone else who calls themselves _agent_. It’s part of the job. And if Tony has found a way to get information out of Loki, information that could _save lives—_ ”

“Loki should not be asking for such a thing as a price,” Thor muttered. “It is _not_ honourable.”

“Doesn’t matter whether it’s honourable or not,” Natasha shrugged. “It _works_.”

“Nat’s right,” Clint said. “Tony’s an adult, he can make his own choice. Loki isn’t forcing him—”

“How can you say that?” Steve asked. “From what you said, Loki is the one who set his price—”

“It’s not the same thing,” Natasha said. “There’s a line. It’s fine, yes, but it _is_ there. Tony’s using his body as a weapon, just like you do every time you drop kick a villain in the face. He’s just utilising it in a different way.”

“I can’t be okay with this,” Steve said, rubbing his hands over his face.

“You don’t have to be,” Clint told him. “The only person who has to be okay with this is _Tony_.”

Steve groaned again, but before he could say anything else, Bruce spoke from the doorway.

“You all know what Tony’s like, don’t you?” he walked back to join them at the table, the green tinge gone even though his expression was still fifteen shades away from calm. “He will do whatever he thinks he has to in order to help everyone else. How many times has he nearly got himself killed in a fight?”

“And his information has stopped _us_ from getting killed how many times?” Clint shot back.

Natasha nodded in agreement. “Tony knows what he’s doing, don’t you see? If we try to stop him, he won’t take it well. All we can do is let it continue, and keep an eye on him, make sure that he’s doing okay—”

“That’s not enough!” Thor snapped, his hands hitting the table a little harder than he meant them too. They were lucky the table didn’t crack.

“Then what would you have us do?” Natasha asked, seemingly unaffected. “How would you fix this?”

“We’ve all sacrificed for the good of others,” Steve said. “Maybe we can let Tony know that we know what he’s doing. So he knows he can come to us for help, if he needs it.”

“No,” Bruce said, shaking his head. “He has to know that what he’s doing is shady, or he would have told us already. Letting him know we know will probably just make him try to be even more secretive than before.”

Thor didn’t respond to either of them. He held Natasha’s gaze, feeling a heavy weight on his shoulders– because she _knew_ what he wanted them to do, but he knew that none of the others would agree. They all valued the information Tony had come by far too much.

Their staring match was broken by the sound of the door swinging in again, and they turned to find Tony walking into the restaurant, the last of his suit folding away around him.

“There you guys are!” Tony exclaimed, glancing over to the counter before throwing himself into a seat on Thor’s other side. He grabbed the untouched kebab in front of Thor and unwrapped it, seeming surprised that there was any food left– yet he didn’t hesitate as he began to dig in.

“Is there no one working in here?” he asked, mouth full, not even seeming to notice that everyone else had yet to say a word– they were all staring at him in varying levels of concern. “I’m starving.”

“We wanted a little privacy,” Natasha said, not missing a single beat and recovering a comfortable demeanour with apparent ease. “A break from all the people clamouring to get our autograph, you know.”

“So you’re in here, eating kebabs, without me.” Tony raised his brows. “In your super suits, even.”

“We thought we should be ready when you gave us the intel,” Clint replied.

“Uh huh.” Tony glanced around them all, his expression curious. “Well, it wasn’t anything urgent, so you can all relax.”

“Not… urgent?” Steve asked, sounding a little strangled.

“Well, don’t sound so disappointed, Cap,” Tony laughed. Thor didn’t know how he was managing to appear so calm after… well. “Apparently, we just need to keep an eye out for Amora– and when she shows up, just. Don’t let her kiss you, she’s got some new kind of mind control lipstick that’s stronger than the one she had before, and she’s itching to try it out.”

Well, that _was_ useful to know, but in Thor’s opinion it still was not worth doing what Tony had. But the others were not saying anything, and were all doing their best not to let anything slip– a pattern that continued over the next few days, a thing which grated against Thor’s every nerve.

For the mortals, it seemed that the many lives that could be saved was worth the ordeal Tony was putting himself through.

But Thor saw it differently. If it truly were that important then he _knew_ there were other ways they would be able to get the information out of Loki, ways that were not so terrible. It wasn’t only that Tony was submitting himself to this– it was that Loki thought it was okay to _ask_ such a thing, to hold that power over another person.

Thor would not see it continue. He would _not_ stand by while his friend was mistreated in such a way, by Thor’s own _brother_.

And the next time the Avengers faced a problem they could not solve without information that only a villain could be privy to – the next time that Tony went to get more information from his _source_ – Thor followed.

He did not bother with all of the careful sneaking that he and the Avengers had the first time– Thor merely slipped a tracker into Tony’s pocket when he had ambush-hugged him before the other man left, and used the signal to follow him to a hotel. It was a different building to the one from before, but no less grand– and this one, too, had a balcony.

This time, Thor did not hesitate, and he did not pause.

He simply charged straight inside, smashing through the window with Mjölnir at the ready.

“Loki!” he bellowed. “You must stop this!”

But as his gaze landed upon them, what he saw was not what he had been expecting.

Tony and Loki were on the bed, and they had both turned to look as Thor had made his entrance, scrambling more upright on the mattress and pulling a sheet over their bodies– yet it was clear from their positions that what Thor had interrupted had been something impossibly… _gentle_.

Tony was closer to the window, and he was sitting in front of Loki in a manner that almost looked… protective?

Thor found himself staring, Mjölnir still raised aloft, not able to make sense of what he was seeing. Tony did not have his suit– he was a mere mortal, and yet he was placing himself between Loki and Thor. Loki was the one who had forced Tony to perform sexual favours as _payment_ , and yet Tony was shielding him with his body.

“Tony,” Thor said, reaching out. “Come away from him. You don’t need to do this anymore.”

“Thor,” Tony said, holding one hand palm-forward in front of him– though whether it was instinctual from his time as Iron Man or meant to be a calming gesture was not clear.

“I know what he is making you do in exchange for information,” Thor said, adjusting his grip on his hammer threateningly. “You don’t have to continue this– this _exchange—”_

“I would never do _that,”_ Loki snarled, speaking up with a suddenness that almost made Thor jump, one of his hands coming to rest on Tony’s shoulder as he shifted forward– and it… almost looked like Loki was trying to pull Tony behind _him_. “I would _never_ , not to Anthony, I—”

“Thor,” Tony interrupted, shoving Loki’s hand off his shoulder– only to entwine their fingers together, holding on tightly as if Loki was his anchor. “This isn’t what it looks like—”

“No, this is exactly what this _looks like_ ,” Loki snapped. “We are—”

“Loki, he thinks you’re _making_ me—”

“Well, he is _wrong—”_

“Tony,” Thor cut in, watching them both in confusion. “What… is this, then, if not an exchange?”

“It’s just… simple,” Tony said pleadingly. “Thor, please, don’t hurt him, just… I’m okay, I promise, he’s not making me do anything. Please.” Tony shuddered, leaning closer to Loki. “Thor, I love him.”

Loki gasped then, a small, soft sound pulling from his lips. “Anthony?” he asked.

“I do,” Tony said, looking to Loki then, his smile softening. “I love you. And I’m _not_ going to let anything come between us.” The last words were once again directed at Thor, harsh and firm– and Thor believed him.

He stared at them for a moment longer, noticing that while Tony still looked like he was pleading, Loki was staring at Thor critically, his green eyes blazing with something fierce, as if he were expecting violence. But Loki’s free arm had come to rest around Tony’s waist, and Thor realised that Loki wasn’t getting ready to fight at all– he was getting ready to _run_ , preparing to take Tony somewhere safe the moment Thor indicated that he was going to attack.

It was that, more than anything else, which made Thor certain of the truth.

“You really care for each other,” Thor whispered. “But… the other day, before the kebabs, I saw…”

Tony’s eyes lit up with understanding, even as he winced. “Sometimes, we play a game,” he said. “I mean, I _do_ use Loki as a source of information, that’s not a lie. And, well—”

“We role-play, Thor,” Loki cut in. “I am sure you know what that means.”

Thor _did_ know what that meant, and as much as he _did not_ particularly fancy thinking about his brother doing such things, it certainly helped to know that what he had witnessed had not been what he thought.

“Are you going to tell the others?” Tony looked worried as he spoke, and then was Loki who looked like he was pleading, as if he thought that telling the Avengers would take Tony away from him. Thor, having seen the honesty in Tony’s earlier claim, knew that it wouldn’t.

In fact…

Thor frowned, realising that _not_ telling them would end up creating more problems in the long run.

“No, but _you_ should tell them,” Thor said– and when it was clear that Tony was going to try and argue, he added, “I was not the only one who saw you the other day. All the other Avengers… believe that you are…”

“Selling myself?” Tony asked. “Please. If anything, Loki was the one who tried to seduce _me_ —”

“Do not flatter yourself, you came on to me first. I know that you cannot resist me—”

“Perhaps I should show you how well I can resist, huh?”

“Please. You wouldn’t last a day—”

“Oh?” Tony asked, leaning in so close to Loki now that their lips were almost brushing together. “I was actually rather thinking that we should find out how long _you_ would last, before you beg me to stop resisting.”

Despite the nature of the conversation, Thor couldn’t help but smile as he watched them bicker. He felt guilty for thinking the worst of his brother, for he could see now just how wrong he was. Loki’s expression as he looked at Tony was nothing short of loving, and every taunt and tease, no matter how suggestive, remained sweet. They were so drawn in by each other that it was almost as if they had forgotten that Thor was there– at least until he turned toward the window, and then their eyes snapped right back to him again.

“You’re leaving?” Tony asked.

“Yes, I think that’s best,” Thor told him, not able to stop himself from throwing them a wink– and he took great joy from the way it made Loki groan. “I am pleased for you both. None of the others know that I came here, so I shall not tell them a thing of today. But I still believe you _should._ ”

“That’s going to be a fun conversation,” Tony sighed. “Fine. But if I do this, you have to cover for us until at least tomorrow, Point Break.”

Thor shook his head fondly, but he didn’t deny their request, feeling he owed them at least that. He was glad that they had found each other, and that it seemed, together, they had both managed to find some measure of happiness.

And maybe, Thor wondered as he stepped onto the balcony, his lips beginning to curve into a smile– just maybe, somewhere down the line, Tony would prove a good influence for Loki.

Then again, it was equally likely that Loki would draw out the mischief in Tony– or perhaps it would be a bit of both. Only time would tell, and as he flew back to Avengers Tower, Thor found himself hoping that they would have an awful lot of it.


End file.
